Freshwater crayfish are farmed in significant numbers globally, with growing evidence for their nociceptive capacity raising welfare questions about common handling and slaughter practices.
Freshwater crayfish welfare parallels debates about marine crustaceans like lobster and crab, with accumulating evidence that these animals have nociception and can experience states relevant to welfare. Live boiling — the most common slaughter method — is increasingly questioned as more humane alternatives including chilling prior to killing gain scientific support. Stocking density management matters for crayfish welfare given territorial behavior that generates aggressive encounters in crowded conditions. As regulatory frameworks for decapod welfare develop in the UK and potentially elsewhere, farmed crayfish are likely to come under new oversight.